


Cold in the Kingdom

by Honeywhisker



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Animal Abuse, Animal Instincts, Animal Traits, Cages, Dehumanization, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Miqo'te (Final Fantasy XIV), Non-Consensual Drug Use, Non-Consensual Touching, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, shock collar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-12-30 15:39:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18318245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Honeywhisker/pseuds/Honeywhisker
Summary: Noctis is stuck as a miqo’te.Some unsavory people take notice.





	Cold in the Kingdom

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first time writing something other than mild whump, I may have over tagged but everything in them applies. So just the obligatory heed the tags!

They had been on this hunt for hours. Muck and mud covered them from head to toe and all Noctis could smell was musty, humid air. Noctis had been trying to keep his hissing and grumbling to himself but it was becoming harder and harder. It was growing tedious fighting the slick, rain-soaked terrain just looking for the one specific animal they needed to kill when so many others were getting in the way. If he sees another voretooth it'll be too soon.

A call for help split the air, echoing around the rocky landscape. It wasn't uncommon in the wilds, hunters got in over their heads, the beasts were unpredictable, or hunts just went wrong. It was a distraction Noct was more than grateful for at this point. Tangible results over chasing phantoms would always be preferable when the rain and the mud got involved.

Thankfully, Noctis still had the miqo’te prism on him or the call might have gone unanswered. It likely was too faint for human hearing to pick up, but his cat ears had no trouble flicking towards the direction the sound came from. Ignis saw noctis go stiff, saw his ears twitch. He has had more than enough time to get to know the finer behavior of cats and Noct was hardly subtle to begin with around them. So when his fluffy tail lashes and he takes off without a glance to his friends, Ignis was ready.

“I think they're over this way, somewhere.” Noctis called, his ears twitching to pick up anything that might alert him to his quarry. He also tried to get a scent from the air but the rain that would have lured their mark out also made scenting anything next to impossible. The scent invades his senses with smells like wet heat and damp earth to him. He shook his head similar to a dog straight out of a bath. It made him want to sneeze.

“If I were stuck out here I'd go for the rocks, I mean, they're probably the safest. Got your back protected.”

“Not a bad idea, Prompto. We should investigate, yes?”

Gladio just grunted but Noctis agreed and led the way over to the crumbling rocks, still listening intently for any noise beyond their group. The terrain was a perfect combination of large bushes, short trees, and pillars of rock. Their missing hunter has unknowingly presented himself as an alluring challenge. He tries to ignore the part of his brain that tells him he's hunting prey.

They picked their way carefully through layers of underbrush, crawling through bushes and over large piles of stone. Noctis at the lead as he is easily more agile with his cat instincts at the forefront. At the edge of a cliff Noctis finally manages to pick up a scent that isn't just humidity. It would make the hunt easier at least.

“Guys, I think I found something. There's blood,” he sniffed the air while also looking for where the trail could lead too. The copper smell was easy to pick up once he was close enough, regardless of the rain. It coated the back of his throat in a sickly sweet scent but he could use it to find the missing hunter. He refused to let himself purr, Prompto had teased him mercilessly last time, but his feline mind does consider it. A job well done was something to celebrate for him and the cat seemed to think a successful hunt was cause enough.

Gladio came over and started looking for the trail as well. The larger man is better at tracking than Noctis so he might be able to find something quicker than even his new cat instincts could, but he was loath to admit it. Relying on Gladio’s tracking, he moved to scent the air as well, hoping the both of them could eventually narrow down where they were heading. Gladio soon found his own physical blood trail to follow as well.

It was easy at that point to follow the scent of the blood and eventually they found themselves facing a large rock ledge where the blood was a lot more prominent. Noctis pulled his lips back and narrowed his eyes, a low growl working its way through his bared fangs.

Noct frowned and dropped his snarl when Prompto whistles at the sheer amount of blood. Whoever is up there has a nasty wound, one that they likely would be unable to stabilize enough to move them before the quickly approaching nightfall. Noct tried to keep that in mind even as he wanted to hiss and spit at the danger he felt in the air. Blood in the air and the smell of beasts alongside the smell of his own pack was starting to set his teeth on edge. He struggled with himself to keep his fangs hidden but his tail was lashing and that was going to have to be enough. Getting up there to help would already be be a pain, he doesn't need to add his own cat nonsense to what was already becoming a pressing issue. He was looking for a good point of accent when the matter of how he was dressed came to mind. Most normal people on Eos didn't have cat features.

Ignis was seemingly thinking the same as Noctis. “I don't think you should go up there with the miqo’te prism still on you. It's different magic for this world and while they might understand status effects, those have a cause in their eyes. You with a cat tail does not.”

“I think he's rocking the tail! Seems like being a kitty in more than name is actually pretty helpful, eh Noct,” Prompto laughed and elbowed his friend. When he saw the blush and fluffed tail his comment earned him, he just laughed harder.

Ignis smiled as well but doesn't let them get distracted. “At least hide the tail and ears. Whoever is up there likely won't notice the smaller details.”

“Just shove it down your pants, it wouldn't be the first time,” Gladio joked. 

“I'm kicking you all out of the tent tonight, nobody gets to sleep with me. Enjoy the haven ground.” Noct hissed but did as they asked and hid his tail. He swiped the checkered bandana Prompto offered him and used it to pull his hair and ears back. He also pointedly doesn't make eye contact or blush when he heard Prompto’s camera click. “There, can we help this guy now?”

Without waiting for an answer, he jumped up onto the ledge. He already felt annoyance surge in him when his large tail tries to help counterbalance him only to be stopped. It certainly made his landing on all fours difficult and probably a little silly looking. He's praying to the gods that this will be over soon but given his past experiences with any major deity he's not that hopeful. Maybe Carbuncle will have mercy on him.

“Hello? Is there someone there?” 

His ears try to follow the sound but remain safely tucked away with the rest of his hair. He shook his head to try and distract himself from the feeling in his ears. He finds a man wedged into the cracks in the rocks as if trying to find somewhere marginally safer than being in the open. The first thing to hit him is the smell the blood and panic from the hunter. A sour sweet combination that was close to making him sick even when the cat wanted to savor it. He could feel the part of himself saying easy prey, weak prey and tried to push that down as deep as he was able. A large slash to the hunter's side that had to have been caused by a Voretooth was gushing blood. He had the sense to push some extra fabric into the cut to try and stop the bleeding but with such a large wound it was doing the minimal amount to help.

“Hey, we heard you calling. We're going to help,” he heard someone else climb the rock behind him and the scent from upwind told him it was Ignis who joined him on the small ledge. 

“Can you lay down? We need to take a look at that wound.” It is phrased as a question but Noct had grown up around Ignis. It was anything but. A statement, command, demand, maybe but certainly not a question. The hunter seemed to still have his wits about him and realized it as well.

“Sure, how many guys ya got? Those damn voretooth might still be around.” He grunted when Iggy pulled away the wad of fabric and more fresh blood starts to flow. Noct scrunched his nose against the scent that assaulted his nose while Ignis got the far off look glazed over their eyes they all have when they mentally search through the armiger. 

“We have more than enough manpower, don't worry. Gladio, Prompto, keep an eye out for voretooth. Don't need anything sneaking up on us while we help this guy.” Noct called over to the other half of their group still on the ground. They all know that Noct would be one of the first to know if voretooth decided to show up. They smelled like rotten meat and death, it would be impossible to miss. He doesn't care to reveal that if any voretooth show up he would have to be dead before any of those disgusting dogs hurt his clowder, but he scraped his claws on the rocks and growled lowly regardless. 

“I could stitch it up, I have the sutures. But then there's infection to worry about. Even then I doubt I could have it done before the sun starts to set and we need to head to the haven. We might need a little more help than normal,” Ignis hinted. None of them wanted to reveal exactly who Noctis was, with the Crown City gone and Niflheim on the hunt for the missing Prince they decided it was best not to advertise just who they were. It also meant just pulling things out of the armiger is not an option for them but Gladio and Prompto were out of sight just below. They could pull a potion without raising any suspicion. 

Noctis walked over to the edge of their small ledge to have one of them start mentally searching for the potion while Ignis kept pressure applied and the man talking through the pain so he doesn't pass out. It was hardly the first time any of them have dealt with wound care, they were all quickly becoming experts.

Prompto is quick to call a potion and pass it up to Noctis while still keeping an eye on their surroundings, unwilling to let anything through when they are still vulnerable and Noctis let himself chuff and bump his head against Prompto’s hand while he takes the potion. His clowder is so dedicated and proud, he can't help but love them for it.

“Thanks,” Noct grabbed the potion and trotted back over to where Ignis was still trying to keep the man conscious. From what he could hear it seemed like Iggy was doing most of the talking but if that was enough to keep this man from dying on them, then he'd bear it.

“Ah, Noct is back with a potion. We should have you all fixed up in a moment. Then we can get you back to a rest stop if you'd like.”

“Potion? I don't care if it helps.” The man groaned and bit his lip when Ignis removed pressure so Noctis could smash the bottle over the wound. He goes quiet and still as the potion goes to work and started stitching the wound closed. 

“Liam, are you awake? We're going to sit you up now, everything should be all healed.”

Noctis decided to just roll with it. Iggy must have gotten his name while checking he was still coherent. “Help me get him up, Ig. We're burning daylight.” They quickly pulled the other man to his feet and tried to get him steady.

The man tumbled to his feet with a little help from both Ignis and Noctis but soon he was at least up on his feet. 

“What’d ya do? It don't even feel like I was hurt. Ya called it a potion?” Liam was busy running his hands over his side where he was previously bleeding out. “There's not even a scar,” he sounds amazed but Noctis had other things on his mind. 

He was stuck smelling the sickly and sour scent of alarm and it was starting to be too much now that the immediate danger was over. His fur prickled along his skin at the smell. The hunter was talking and starting to move under his own power so the potion was at least working so that meant they could head away from this spot.

“Someone in Malmalam sold them to us. We're just glad they worked and you're feeling alright,” Noctis thanked the Astrals for Ignis and his quick cover stories. They wouldn't have to reveal that Noct made them and raise suspicion about who exactly he was. Magic like that would be a dead giveaway after Insomnia fell. With the Kingsglaive disbanded and the King dead it made Noctis the only one able to use that sort of magic. 

“Well, thank ‘em for me when you see ‘em next, ya? This is amazing, I should be fine getting out of ‘ere before sundown thanks to you guys. Is there anythin’ I can do to repay you,” the hunter seemed to be getting more lively with each passing moment, no doubt energy supplied from the potion, but he should be safe for now. 

“You just get to safety. Do you have someone you can call? We have phones if you need to use one,” Noctis could hear Gladio’s huff at wasting time now and knew it as well but he didn't want to send someone out into the woods without a back up plan. They had just saved his life after all and it'd be a shame to send him back out there just to die. Even if he was getting twitchy from the smells assaulting him while they sat in the open.

“I can call someone, no worries,” the hunter walked over to the edge where Prompto and Gladio arr waiting and jumps down to them, nodding before taking off into the underbrush without without a word.

Noctis watched him go with Ignis before he shrugged and jumped down as well. Ripping off the bandana he tossed it back to Prompto before he shook his head to get feeling back in his ears and gingerly freeing his tail to smooth his long fur back out. He takes his time to carefully run his fingers through the fur, gently untangling any knots he found.

“He sure got out of here in a hurry, didn't he?” 

Gladio laughed and gave Prompto a slight shove, just enough to get him moving. “Like we haven't had to make you run laps to burn off that potion energy. Besides, we should be thankful he's up and moving, probably just has someone waiting for him somewhere, hunters don't usually go it alone for this exact reason.”

Noctis joined them with Ignis not far behind as they head back to the haven they had claimed. They have been camping there for as few days now hoping for some rainy weather like today but it seemed like they'll be waiting a few more until they find their mark. 

Noct and Prompto both cheer when the blue lights of the haven come into sight while Gladio makes fun of them, telling them the exercise might help toughen up their scrawny asses. Prompto felt the need to point out he didn't mind their scrawny asses last night, while Noctis tried to shut him up. Ignis is the one to shoo them all to the nearby pond. 

“We've been running around in the mud and rain all day, none of you are getting in the tent like that.”

Noctis flicked an ear at the man, “I thought I kicked you all out of the tent.”

“You wouldn't be able to snuggle with us if you kicked us out. Iggy would be fine if we all slept outside so he's a lot more threatening than you, sorry bud. Well, except for all the whining. He'd have to deal with that,” Prompto joked while he stripped down. 

“I deal with it already, thank you, I don't need anymore.” 

“Ain't that the truth,” Gladio agreed.

“You weren't exempt from that Gladiolus.” Ignis pointed out as he stepped into the water to begin washing up. 

The larger man huffed a laugh in response and jumped into the pond near everyone just to be sure to hit them all with the resulting splash. Prompto yelled and lept in after Gladio only to be immediately dunked back under. Ignis puts his glasses into the armiger, already anticipating being dragged into their roughhousing. Someone had to keep the peace after all.

“Will you be joining us Noct or do you have plans to sleep under the stars?”

“I think we might have a problem,” he was still on the shore, still in his boxers, still sporting his cat ears and tail even though the miqo’te prism should have come off with the clothes. He started pulling at the ears only to yowl when he found they are, in fact, still attached to his skull. “I think we might have a big problem,” he rephrased. 

His friends all gather around to help investigate the problem. As good as it felt to have everyone's hands and attention on him it didn't distract him from the fact that he should be a regular human right now, and not half cat, but he couldn't find the prism anywhere and affirmed as much to Ignis when he asks. 

“You've taken the prism off before and it worked, as well as mixing it with other outfits, so why is this happening now?”

“I don't know, nothing felt any different since I changed clothes this morning! But I can't find it,” he knew he was probably panicking but he couldn't exactly live his life as a half cat person. Maybe wherever Y’jhimei came from it was normal but not here in Eos. 

Bathtime was quickly completed after that as they made their way back to the haven to eat and try and figure out this new furry problem. After a careful search of the armiger and the campsite they found that all of the prisms Y’jhimei gave them were gone. The most important being the one Noctis had been carrying on him to inherit the miqo’te abilities. 

“We'll have to set off for Perpetouss Keep in the morning. We can't exactly call her, as I believe she has yet to get a cell phone and we are certainly not leaving Noctis like this.”

He nods, “Iggy’s right, it was one thing when I knew I could change back but this is too much. It was fun and helpful but now this is just crazy. I can't face Niflheim looking like a house cat. I'd be laughed out of Gralea before I ever got close to the Crystal.”

“What if that's the reason this happened? Like the Crystal is why we can't find the prism anymore,” Prompto said. He looked up to see everyone staring at him and rushed to explain. “Like, Y’jhimei gave you that prism to let you have the same traits as a miqo’te, but it's supposed to work on a regular person, and well, you're not exactly a regular person. You're a Lucis Caelum and you have magic already. Like that movie, yeah? We mixed the streams, only in this time it was magic.”

“You're saying that Noct's natural magic mixed with the magic Y’jhimei gave him?”

“Well, yeah? Like he already was magic and a weird new magic starts messing with him so the natural Eos magic just kinda takes it out? I mean the Crystal has kept him alive before, it doesn't seem odd it would protect him from magic it doesn't recognize. Maybe it sees it as a threat as well.”

“And maybe it sought to eliminate it,” Ignis agreed. “Not a bad idea Prompto. As you said, the Crystal has protected the Lucis Caelum line for centuries. It's not unlikely it tried to protect him from this as well.”

Noct sighed, “Y’jhimei likely has no clue about the Crystal or what it can do. She won't be able to undo this,” he hissed and gestured to himself in general. “And that doesn't explain why the prisms she gave you guys are gone as well.”

Ignis reliped, “it just might though, we stored them where we store everything. In the armiger, which uses Crystal magic.”

“Speculation is useless. We'll just have to get to the Keep and find out tomorrow. There's nothing we can do tonight but get to sleep,” Gladio agreed with Ignis and grabbed Noctis to carry him towards the tent, ignoring the yowl, even fluffier tail, and claw marks he gets for surprising him. “Get in your pajamas. As much as we like looking at your ass, you should probably get some clothes on before you catch a cold.”

He blushed as he was dumped on the mats in the tent, the blanket nest they left this morning also cushioning his fall. Gladio left the tent to help clean up dinner, a chore Prompto managed to avoid yet again because he comes barreling into the tent almost as soon as Gladio leaves. Noctis tried not to react when he can feel the other staring at him as he changes, but his fur is fluffing up along his spine and his tail flicked. He quickly settled down into the middle of their blanket nest after quickly rearranging a few stray pillows and throws back to his satisfaction and took as moment to really stretch out before Prompto joined him. He pulled Prompto to him after the other has changed and curled around him. Noctis wrapped his big tail around their feet and pushed his head under Prompto’s chin, getting a chance to scent one of his mates. He let himself indulge and started up a rumbling purr when Prompto pet through his hair and rubs his ears. One of his weaker points that he only trusted with his clowder. It had him feeling boneless beneath their hands in just a few quick scratches.

“What do you think Y’jhimei is going to say, when we ask about this whole prism thing?”

“I'm not sure she'll know anything more than we do,” Noctis answered. “At least she might know something about the magic from her world. That's more than we have now. I don't want to think about it, like Gladio said, it won't change anything. Go back to distracting me.”

“Is that the cat being a cuddle monster or you?”

“I wanted this before the cat thing happened, trust me. Less talking about it, more scratches.”

Prompto rolled his eyes but rubbed the silky fur of his left ear and hummed as Noctis returned to purring and settling in to sleep. Ignis and Gladio soon joined them in the tent, the two older men moved to get ready for bed as well to the backdrop of their Prince's loud purring. Ignis settles down on the other side of Prompto in the mess of blankets Noctis liked to call his nest. He ran a hand down Noct's side and listened as the purr raised in volume. Gladio reached out and grabbed Ignis’ hand when it stops on the Prince’s hip and just held it there from around Noct's other side. 

Noctis meanwhile was content to enjoy the company of his clowder and knowing they were all safe and here with him. He didn't let himself dwell on the consequences of the miqo’te prism being missing. He had enough on his plate with Niflheim, the Crystal, and Insomnia. Relatively speaking this was a small set back, for all that it could change his life. He had decided already with everything they have to deal with he could bear this with grace. He could hide the cat features like he did today if he had to, even for the rest of his life. He wouldn't let this be another burden for his friends to bear because of him. For now he just let himself enjoy having his family close. 

***

He wasn't sure what woke him up. He thought it might have been a twig snapping outside the haven. It wasn't completely unheard of for sick or desperate animals to brave the lights and sounds of a haven for a meal. Noctis simply just registered threat in his sleepy state. 

He carefully picked his way out of the tent, shrugging Prompto off and into Gladio, so they could cuddle each other in his absence. The two biggest cuddlers he had ever met but they both denied it.

Noctis carefully looked around the haven, all his fur on end down his spine while his ears were pinned back flat against his hair. He felt a growl rumbling up his throat and doesn't hesitate to show his fangs with it. Let it serve as a warning for anything that might be thinking of encroaching on his claimed territory. 

He is so busy scanning his perceived territory he almost didn't feel the slight pinch on his shoulder. Rolling his shoulders, he mentally cursed the bugs and the outdoors yet again. He flicks his tail and paces the boundaries of the haven. Something was setting him on edge and he wasn't sure what it was. He should probably wake up his clowder but that would be admitting defeat to them. Instead, he prowled the haven in agitation if only to prove he was a worthy protector. 

His snarling and pacing eventually slowed as he started to feel the tension leave him. He had the fleeting thought he should head back to the tent but there's still a nagging feeling that something is wrong that made his fur stand on end. His ears flick back to the rocks around the back edge of the haven when he heard something trip a rock.

He wanted to turn and face it but everything felt sluggish, slow and uncoordinated. All the grace and speed Nyx and Gladio had drilled into him was just gone. It's all he can do to just remain standing to face whatever threat was coming.

“Dart ‘im again and get anyone else still in the tent. There should be three others with it remember.”

His ears picked up the sound of hushed talking but his friends are still asleep and likely hadn't heard anything. He needed to alert them, to do something to warn them. If he can't fight the others certainly could. Knowing he won't be able to do anything coordinated in his condition, he took the easy out and clawed a hand at one of Gladio’s fancy camping lamps. He took a moment to feel bad about breaking it before he knocked it off the line to let it smash on the stone ground of the haven.

He felt another stinging hit to the shoulder, it reminded him of the soft air guns Prompto used to mess with in Insomnia, but it is pushed to the side when he saw several men rip into the tent and start pulling his friends out. Snarling, he tries to turn to face the men invading his territory but it was all becoming too much. He was too tired and very slowly he was pulled under into the darkness.

***

They woke up to the sound of glass breaking and it only took seconds for Gladio and Ignis to be on their feet, Prompto following soon after but even then they were unprepared for humans to be the ones attacking. There was chaos as they saw men piling into their tent. They looked just like every other hunter they might have seen. The three of them were quickly pulled from their tent and in the process realize that Noctis is missing from their group. 

Unable to pull their weapons from the armiger in front of these random people, who already seem to have it in for them, it would probably not be advantageous to let them know they had a connection to the Crystal. Ignis was busy cursing himself for the oversight where they are left without weapons to defend themselves. Much more chilling than that, is Noct laying on the ground with even more people crowded around him. 

He could track when the others realized Noct was down and in danger as they all stopped fighting when one of them grabbed Noctis and pulled him up. Another bent down and grabbed his tail in their hand, pulling at the fur in a way Noct would have hated. Several other men crowded around him as well, hands roaming over his body and fur in a way that made his friends want to fight again even against their odds. They all knew something was wrong when Noctis didn't even react to the man-handling. The group had heard so many complaints and hints about just how sensitive his tail was that seeing these people just carelessly tugging on it with no complaint from him was unnerving.

“Good, ya realize your position here,” one of them said as he haued Noctis over his shoulder. “Now, ya’ll’re gonna to sit down quietly while we tie ya up. After that what happens is gonna be decided on how well ya behave for us.”

“We'll do whatever you want if you put Noct down,” Ignis tried to reason. If these men wanted their haven or their supplies they would give them up easily for Noct's safety.

“That it's name? Well don't ya worry we'll take good care of it, but it's coming with us.”

“He's a person, not an “it!” Whatever you did to him, he obviously didn't want to go with you and we're not just going to let you take him!” Prompto yelled at the large scarred man just to earn a backhand from one of the other men holding him.

“Ya should be glad we don't traffic people, Blondie, I'm sure we could find someone to take ya as quick as we'll find someone to take your little pet here.”

“Traffickers?” Ignis glared as he and his friends are all tied up and sat at the end of the haven. He was starting to understand their situation and what was likely to happen to Noctis if he was left with these people.

“Nah, we make a livin’ sellin’ animals. Perfectly legal itself. People seem to have a demand for rare and dangerous beasts. Some just like to collect the one of a kind and your friend here is the perfect find,” he hefted Noct a little higher and nodded to the others surrounding the haven. The men take aim at the three friends and shoot. 

***

Noctis comes to with a slow kind of wakefulness, almost like coming up for air when underwater. Everything looks and feels too hazy. He tries to get his pounding head to focus on his surroundings as waking up without his clowder was basically a flashing neon sign that something was wrong. Cold metal is beneath him and if he tried hard enough he could make out shapes beyond what look like bars. It starts slowly and then he's suddenly in a dark, awful smelling room. Sound comes flooding back all too quickly and in his addled state it's hard to process it properly. He can hear animals calling from every side and it makes his head pound. It makes him dizzy with the battery of smells and sounds.

He sat up quickly, swinging around to try and take in his surroundings ignoring the feeling of a nail being wedged between his eyes. There were so many smells and all he could see were bars in every direction. Animals of all sizes and temperaments were stuck in cages and calling, filling the room with a cacophony of sound, enough to make his head ache even with his hands holding his ears flat to his head. On top of that the smell of this room he was stuck in was disgusting. Every animal smell he could imagine plus the fear scents on top. He felt his shoulders rise up, his fur fluffing as well, trying to make himself look intimidating to what his instincts were telling him was a threat.

Noct hissed as he turns to take in his surroundings. Quickly realizing that like the animals around him, he was also in a cage. He let his hiss become become a snarl as he pushed against the sides of the cage. There was a group of people crowded around a few small stacks of boxes. It sounded like they were playing some kind of card game. A lot of noise was coming from them as well. There was no sign of the rest of his clowder and all he can smell is distress from all the other animals around him. His ears pinned themselves flat to his skull and he bared his teeth as he fully takes in his situation. There's as tattered blanket laying on the cold metal bottom of the cage he was in, a simple luxury and seeming all whoever took him was willing to give him. Bars surround him and with barely enough room to sit up comfortably, the cage was cramped enough to put his teeth on edge. He is up now but feels the sluggish pull to his system that tells him he was still working through whatever they drugged him with.

A hand slammed down on the top of the cage he was currently in repeatedly as if they were trying to deafen him. He jerked away from the top of the cage and heard a chorus of laughter from outside his bars. He narrowed his eyes at the jean clad legs that blocked his vision in retaliation. 

“Well, well, look who's up! Kind of ya to join us in the land of the livin’ kitten, I was worried maybe those tranqs put ya down rather than out,” the man joked. An older man towered over the cage and was absolutely covered in scars. He kneeled down to look in the cage proper as Noctis flashed his fangs again and flexed his claws against the closest cage bars.

“What is this, what are you doing,” he snarled. “Let me out of here!”

The man's arm flashed past the bars and grabbed his chin in a bruising grip even as he tried to push his way back. “Losing ya would’ve been a blow, I'm sure somethin’ rare as ya will be a big payday. Ya look like ya could be worth your weight in gil and I'd’ve hated to miss on that.” 

The realization of what those words meant hit him like a strike from Gladio’s broadsword to the ribs. They planned to sell him. They kidnapped him from his clowder to sell him to the highest bidder like some animal.

Noct struggled against the calloused hand that gripped his face much too hard. Blunt nails dug into his skin while he tried to pull back away from the man's lingering gaze. When he still wasn't released he brought a hand up and clawed wildly at the other's face. Scars pushed him back against the bars of his cage, falling back with his hand coming from his lip bloody.

Noctis decided then from the dirty floor of the cage that he hated this man and all the others as well. He fought the pounding in his head and tried to think of a plan. Attacking the presumed leader was not the best idea when it comes to escaping, at least if Cor’s drills about kidnapping were anything to go by. There were plenty of other men around the cages, none of them seem any more sympathetic to him than the one that had roughly touched him. Some other men hurry to help Scars off the floor while Noctis smirks. Noct snaps his tail on the floor of the cage and lets a rumbling growl start deep in his chest. He'd give them a chance to realize their mistake before he truly fought back and he'd do his best to keep hiding the pain radiating in his skull with every beat of his heart.

“Damn, those’re real,” he heard someone whisper. More people crowded around his cage and looked in like he was something less than them.

A voice he dimly recognized replied, “I told ya, I told ya it was real, I heard ‘em talkin’ about it.”

Looking past the bars he saw the hunter they rescued earlier. Or rather poacher it would seem. It was one thing to take out creatures when they became a threat to people and property, another completely to trap them for sport. His eyes narrowed at the man, making sure to keep eye contact with Liam until the other lowered his own gaze. He's tempted to summon a weapon, regardless of what these people would do once they realized they had the hunted Prince of Lucis drugged and trapped in a cage in some filthy warehouse.

“‘Course they're real, we tugged ‘em at the haven. That big tail and ears both.”

Noct stopped growling at the mention of the haven. When he woke up he didn't see or smell his friends anywhere. They must have done something to them back at the haven when they took him.

“That's one thing, to hear it. It's a whole other to actually see ‘em moving. It's wrong.”

Noctis shook his head harshly to try and clear it before pushing himself closer to the bars. Scars hadn't been the kindest and the others weren't exactly high on his list of conversation partners but if he could get any information he would bury his pride. “What about my friends. What did you do to them, where are they?”

“Kinda freaky, isn't it? I've never seen anythin’ like it but I guess that's the point.”

“Wonder where those guys found it. We should’a asked before we just left ‘em there.”

“You did what,” he looked from person to person but none of them seem inclined to acknowledge he was speaking. He had a feeling he knew why, every ‘it’ just cemented the idea in his head. These people really didn't see him as human.

“They said somethin’ ‘bout Malmalam before they healed me, mentioned that old hag, but maybe that's where they found it?”

“No use thinkin’ about it now. They'll be dead by now, and anyway, it makes this one all the rarer.”

“Dead? You left them to die,” Noctis screeched and grabbed the cage bars, pushing against them with all the force he could muster even against the pounding in his head, once again cursing that he couldn't reveal who he truly was. A warp and he'd be past the bars easy. They seemed to be just a strong wire and the latch was obviously made for weaker animals. It was zip tied shut but Noct was royalty and has been tried been trained by the best of the best. He would be able to break zip ties in his sleep, which he took a moment to be grateful for because the headache was becoming harder to ignore the more he was awake to deal with it.

The men outside the bars became background noise. He drowned out their jeering and laughter with a fierce snarl. He ignored them and focused on the cage door and the latch. It was a simple turn and pull lock and again it just reinforced the these men didn't think he was a person. 

His ears flicked forward and glanced quickly to see that the other men had found a more entertaining target in a coeurl. Scars had stomped over some of the other animals they had captured, likely looking to torment weaker prey, his mind supplied. He reached through the bars and quickly unlatches the original lock, fumbling a few precious seconds in which he glanced back over to the people loitering around before he grabbed one side of the cage door while ramming his shoulder into the other. 

With a pop the tie holding the cage shut snapped open with ease and Noctis rolled with the sudden loss of support. Tumbling out of his cage and into the middle of the poachers he lets his tail flick out to steady him as he bared his teeth in a challenge. With screeching, roaring, and yipping the animals all start calling again at the resulting banging causing Noctis to stumble slightly. All the noise makes him want to curl up and never face the world again but he folded his ears flat and tired to ignore his delicate hearing just this once. Quickly catching himself, he took advantage of the confusion in the room to grab one of the men and slam his head into the top of the cage he was previously trapped in. The resulting clash of skull on metal and the dent left in its wake was one of his prouder moments. He quickly searched for any of the weapons a hunter would normally be carrying and pulled a wicked looking dagger from a shoulder sheath. Not his best weapon but he could use nearly anything in a pinch. Gladio and Ignis had made sure of that.

Dropping the man to the filthy floor, he turned and leapt onto the next closest man, bearing down at him with claws, fangs, and dagger all at the ready. He ripped into the other's throat, tearing into him with everything he had even as he could sense the shock wearing off the others. He'll deal with them when the time comes but for now he allows the feline part of himself to savor this kill. He has long since given up on these men. They lost his favor when they classed him as an other and casually talked about selling him. The rest will be after him soon as well, he had to push his advantage while he had it. Noctis pushed away from the dead man, stumbled again with a snarl and a palm to his forehead before catching himself. 

Aiming for the throat again, he pounced on top of another unlucky soul and took them both to the ground in a heap of limbs. The man tried to roll but what Noctis lacks in size he made up for in agility. Another quick kill and he was moving on to the next captor. 

Flicking an ear back to listen to a sound from behind him is the only warning he got of what was coming. He felt a surge of electricity that wasn't under his control. It ripped through his nerves like fire. His whole body felt ablaze with lightning as he dropped immediately to the floor. He had only felt something like this when he summoned Ramuh. This feeling of a foreign element in his body that wasn't connected to the Crystal. It tore through him in a way his magic never did, leaving him feeling hollowed out and yet too full as his muscles spasmed. 

He started convulsing from the shock, twitching and flailing there on the floor even as the electric prod is removed from the small of his back. The floor was as inviting as it could ever be as he tried to get his breathing back to normal when his heart felt like he should be dying. Forcing himself to inhale had never been this hard, even during the Maralith attack as a child.

Noct's fur is on end while he snarled and hissed. His ears were still pinned to his skill but now it simply felt too tiring to think of moving them. The minute he stopped thrashing on the floor the poachers mobbed him. They grabbed him by the arms and harshly pushed him to his knees in front of Scars.

Scars was holding a sparking electric prod that was still crackling with energy. It tapped rhythmically against his other hand while he stared down at Noctis. “Now that was a very stupid idea.”

“Oh, so now you're acknowledging me, should I be honored?” He struggled in their hold and eventually settled for snapping his tail on the concrete floor to show his dissatisfaction with their handling. 

Scars looked to one of the men holding him and nodded without a word. Noct barely had a moment to register the exchange before pain exploded in his ribs. A swift kick from one of the hunters threw him back to the floor with a gasp. He curled up reflexively around his injured side but still managed to hiss through heaving breaths. Every inhale just led to more pain and he can only hope he just bruised a rib. Hands yank him back to kneeling all too soon, he saw starbursts behind his eyes on every beat of his heart. 

“We don't usually get in the habit of talkin’ to the beasts, but ya seem determined to make yourself one of a kind in every way.”

“Well, I live to impress,” he snarled and struggled to get away from the men holding him upright yet again. He doesn't make it much further before he is mobbed by the rest of the poachers after an approving nod from Scars. Fingers grab at him from every direction, anywhere they could. Some went right for his long tail, messing the fur enough to have him raising his hackles. One brave, idiotic soul even ran a hand under his tail to grab his ass. Noctis tried to turn and claw at the offender only to be pulled back to the floor. He feels someone tugging at the thick fur around his shoulders while another rubbed almost tenderly at his ears. That touch nearly stopped his struggling. His clowder were the only ones allowed to touch his ears so intimately. The group fell back at a harsh whistle from Scars, leaving Noctis curled on the floor, panting deeply with narrowed eyes. He could feel blood flowing and bruises forming from their aggressive fondling and thinks there might be a cracked rib at the least. He hissed and spat blood on Scars boot anyway.

Scars moved quicker than his size seemed to allow, flashing out to snag Noct's hair in a punishing grip. “Now, we were originally contracted to bring in fresh blood for the Totomostro Arena. That's where all these bastards are going,” he said as he gestured broadly to the riled animals behind him, forcing Noctis to look as well through watering eyes. “But I think ya'll be one of our special cases.” He tugged sharply on Noct's hair forcing him to meet his eyes only to watch as the older man then blatantly traced his body while licking his lips. The shiver that ran through Noctis only earned him a toothy grin. “I think we might try to find ya a private buyer. Someone is goin’ to pay big money to have ya warming their bed I'm sure.”

Noct spat at the idea he could be bought and sold so easily. The implication of his words wasn't lost on him either. Like hell he would lay back and let this happen while he still had strength to fight. He tried to pulls his head from the man's grip, hair be damned but it only earned him a harsh backhand to the face that has him sprawled on his hands and knees on the dirty warehouse floor. A heavy weight slammed into his shoulder blades and forced him to stay down. The fire reignited in his chest and he struggled to breath as Scars leaned all his weight on the foot resting on his back. Air is pushed from his lungs and he fought to stay conscious as it worsened the pounding in his head. His claws scrambled uselessly against the smooth stone floor. Scars simply pushed harder.

“Best get used to it, kitten. I imagine ya goin’ to be on ya knees quite a lot. We hit the jackpot here with ya and we're not fool enough waste it like the others,” he dug the heel of his boot in deeper, pressing against old scars. Noctis unconsciously mewled at the bombardment of pain. Eyes screwed shut he didn't see Scars smirk. “Someone collar this one. Put ‘im down again too.”

He felt a slight sting in his arm a minute before the large man on top of him moved. Noct knows he should be fighting, running, doing something to break free, but at the same time he was suddenly so tired and everything hurt so much. Part of him knew it was the tranquilizer but that part warred with the other half that just wanted rest. He could feel sleep pulling at him even as he was left alone on the cold floor as the people around him start tending to other tasks. He surrendered to sleep.

***

Waking up had always been an affair for him. He tended to try and stay asleep as long as he could if only because nothing could bother him if he was This time it's like being doused in freezing water. He's quicker this time, having become used to the ringing headache that accompanied those tranquilizers and took in his situation much faster. Part of him knew what to expect but that didn't stop him from wishing he was waking up to the cozy inside of the tent, safe in his nest with his clowder. Noctis felt his fur start to prickle and his ears flattened at the heavy bars that now surrounded him. They had managed to cage him again after the scene he caused. A loud, heavy clang had him flinching away from the top of the cage. He looked up to see two of the poachers locking the door of what appeared to be his new cage. They must have dropped him straight on the metal floor of the cage if there was a door was on the top. He scrambled to his feet and really took in the cage he was now truly trapped in. It was significantly taller than the last one but that just meant he wouldn't be able to force it open again if the door was above him. There was a second one, maybe a little shorter than he was on one wall but it was padlocked shut. 

“Damn bastard woke up quick. Guess that's why they hit it twice at the haven. Must have one hell of a metabolism.”

Noct flashed out with a clawed hand to bat at the men, making them jerk back from the bars, one actually fell off the top of his cage, landing heavily to the side. His tail twirled in satisfaction and he allowed himself a rare smile before a fire burnt him from the inside out. 

His hands scrambled to his neck where all he found was a band of seamless metal. There's no purchase for his claws underneath it and no relief from the shock running rampant through his system. Nothing he's doing gets the metal off, it almost feels like the shock gets slightly worse as he fights it. He shakes his head and claws at the collar regardless, scratching his skin instead, there was was a slight jingle that he easily ignored. He could smell iron as soon as he finally broke skin. 

“It'll end when ya behave, kitten. We're not gonna ‘ave ‘nother incident like before.”

Noctis remembered. This man ordered him to be collared like some animal. Like he wasn't human. He could feel the prongs dug deep into his neck. It was a shock collar.

The shock lowered to something that was more manageable, nothing like his own magic or the prod used on him before, but it was enough to make him pause. Not enough that he couldn't ignore it however. 

“Get fucked,” he growled and stalked forward to wrap his hands around the bars closest to Scars, the ones that formed the second door. He twitched with the little shocks running through him but forced himself to look the man in the eye.

“Now that just won't do. No one is goin’ to want such a bad tempered pet. We'll just have to fix that,” he smirked and fiddled with the little device in his hand and suddenly Noctis is on the floor, shaking and clawing at his neck again. Reflexively he tried to get away from the thing hurting him but there was no moving the collar. His vision whited out. Someone was screaming too loud and too close to sensitive ears. He spasmed on the bottom of his cage for seconds that felt like hours before the electricity was cut off. 

Noct panted and seized as his muscles tried to unlock themselves. His throat burned and he couldn't get enough air into his lungs. He whined in blistering pain as the man bends down to look at him through the bars. 

“That's more like it. The sooner ya behave the better it'll be here for ya. Ya doing all this to yaself, pet.” The man chuckled and banged the cage bars just to see Noctis jump up to try and fight. Scars laughed when he didn't get very far.

Noctis fell to his side for his struggle and laid there even as his ears twitch at the sound of retreating footsteps and that annoying jingle was back. Eventually the shaking stopped. Eventually he is able to breath kind of normally. Noctis is left on his own as his captors walk off to do who knows what. He takes the reprieve and curled up on himself to try to think of a way out of this mess. Time had become a skewed idea thanks to being knocked out so many times. At this point days or only hours could have passed and he'd be none the wiser stuck in this loud warehouse. 

He carefully reached up to feel at the collar dug into his neck but just like before in his panic there was no latch he could find. The band sat tight on his neck but towards the front he felt more heated metal. His hand closed around it and he heard the jingle again. It was a bell. They had collared him and to add an insult to the injury they had added a bell. Like he was a regular house cat. He snarled quietly and pulled at the bell. It wouldn't come off, it just made its happy jingling noise. He scoffed and curled up.

He thought of his clowder. He had to have faith they were alive. The poachers said they left them to die, they didn't actually kill his friends themselves, and if Noctis knew his clowder as well as he liked to think he did then they were out there searching for him right now. 

He would just have to wait them out. They would come for him just as they promised they always would. It was just so hard to focus on that when he was in so much pain. He curled up tighter, tried to ignore the fire in his chest, the bruises on his back, and the dried blood crusting his neck. He could do this. He had to do this. If he couldn't escape by himself then his friends would get him out, but there had to be something for them to rescue. Noctis was so lost in his thoughts he didn't hear those heavy footfalls he had started to despise return. 

“Now, now, kitten, let's not pout,” Scars cooed. He reached his arm through the bars and rubbed his large hand through Noct's soft hair, scratching at his folded ears. He almost let himself purr before his stomach tightened. He shouldn't be enjoying this. It registered a moment before he struck out with a snarl. His claws strike true and he drew blood and a human hiss from the man. Noctis looked up with satisfaction and expected to finally see some pain on Scars face but he only saw heat. He hoped it was in anger. The hand in his hair tightened, pulling his head up so they were looking eye to eye. This retinue was becoming alarmingly familiar. “Do I need to teach ya ‘nother lesson, pet? Next time ya raise those pretty claws against me, I'll rip ‘em out.”

Noctis glared at him in defiance, he lifted his head and snapped his tail in anger but remained silent. He refused to let himself be intimidated by this man.

“Ya were doin’ so good just now too,” the man said before he pulled out the small device that controlled his collar. Noctis flinched and was surprised when the man just let him go. He watched warily as the man lazily flipped the control between his fingers. “Ya know what this is, ya felt what it does. Are ya going to behave?”

Noct spared a quick glance at the controller and swallowed heavily, feeling the tightness around his throat. He can very clearly remember the convulsions endured earlier. Even now he can feel scabbed cuts and blood around his neck from where he clawed mindlessly at the collar. 

Noctis tired to mentally weigh his options. He came up with two choices no matter how he looked at it. He could either fight or play along. Fighting was dangerous, there was no guarantee he would win. He had been combat trained but every time the subject of possible kidnapping and hostage situations came up he was told to comply if it would keep him alive. Granted his didn't have his father coming down to reign holy hell with the full force of the Glaive and Guard, but his clowder would be out there and they would go through hell for him regardless. The only thing that would be hurt from playing along would hopefully be his pride at this point. The time he spends playing this game might even give him enough time for everything else to start to heal, especially if he focused some magic from the Crystal towards it. He'll have to focus on his bruised ego once everything else was healed and he was free enough to worry about it.

Noctis nodded for the man and was rewarded when Scars released his hair. The man's calloused hand moved down to cup his cheek and trace his lips with his thumb. “Good boy,” Scars breathed heavily and Noct flattened his ears and broke eye contact as his stomach rolled. He caught the man's scent and knew he was aroused by this. It made him feel like gagging. Scars allowed him to back away and pulled his arm back out of the cage. 

“I've got half a mind to keep ya all for myself.” Noctis shivered at the thought, causing Scars to grin. “Someone is goin’ to pay an awful lot for somethin’ rare like you. Let's show ‘em what they're missin’ out on, kitten.” 

Noctis pulled away to the farthest corner of the cage and hugged his knees to his chest. The bars dug into his back when he couldn't push back any further. He hated being so weak. There was something in him that broke more than bone when he forced himself to play along. It felt like everything was constricting his heart when he had to hide who he was. It shocked him they hadn't already figured it out but at the same time it was a blessing. Niflheim would gladly pay any amount to get their hands on him. He glared out past the bars to Scars setting up a stand of some sort while his men set up a foldable table. 

A video camera was set up on the stand pulled directly into view as the poacher steps back, the red light that blinked on the side told him he's being recorded. A cord snaked up to a laptop that sat off to the side that was faced towards him and Scars where he was sitting to work the computer. He could see himself reflected back with a small chat window and already the messages were popping up. Noctis hid his head in his arms and curled his large tail closer. 

He couldn't let these people find out who they had. If they found out he was more than just the freaky natural phenomenon they were lucky enough to stumble on then they would send him off to Niflheim without any regrets for a big enough paycheck. Bile rose in his throat at not being able to fight back, it went against everything he knew. He had to remember that it also meant there would be something for his friends to find. Cor had told him countless times, there's no shame in doing what you have to too survive. If he kept fighting eventually they would break him. Everyone had a breaking point. He wasn't eager to find his while in his current company. 

He heard pinging in the background but tried to ignore it and let it become background noise. Instead he simply curled himself tighter, bringing his tail to his chest to start untangling the long fur. His treatment here hadn't allowed for as much grooming time as he usually liked. Eventually he fell into the familiar rhythm, falling back into his mind and letting everything else fade away. That noise just meant more sadistic people were willing to play this game. More people who just saw him as a commodity to own instead of his own person. He held his tail to his chest and let the lingering scent of his nest and clowder wash over him.

He had almost fallen into a much needed, drugless, sleep when more than just the usual clanging rung out through his little corner of the warehouse. He wanted to laugh at how easy it was for him to get used to such things but he turned fully towards the noise and saw someone unlocking the small door. 

“Too bad its hearin’ is so good. It's cuter sleepin’ and cuddlin’ that big tail of his.”

Noctis flashed his tail at their words, a warning growl working its way out of his throat as they finally open the door. He took a moment to analyze his surroundings, saw the camera was still flashing away, Scars was still at the table, none of his men were hiding their faces from the camera. They weren't afraid of being caught and likely for good reason. Niflheim never cared and Lucis was gone. It was also very likely that whoever was still watching was just as deep into this as the men that are holding him. There's no chance of escape unless he can get that controller for his collar. 

“Well, come on kitten,” Scars clicked his tongue, as if he was trying to cajole a reluctant animal towards him. Noct decided he wasn't entirely off in the idea. “Ya gaining all sorts of attention! Lot of big money bein’ thrown around in this auction. Few of ‘em want to see what else ya got to offer.” 

“I'm not some toy for you to play with however you want,” he growled and pushed himself further back. It would have been more intimidating if the bell resting on his neck did jingle with every move he made.

“That's where ya wrong, pet,” he turned around to address his men instead. “Get a leash on it, be quick about it.”

Two brave men stepped up to accept the challenge and Noct bared his fangs to make it clear it would indeed be a challenge. They both held strong leather leashes wrapped around their fists. Noctis wondered if they underestimated him again. He could easily unclip a lead. 

“Here kitty, kitty, kitty. Come on out and make this easy on yourself.” One man reached into the cage and tried to beckon him forward with a heavily tattooed arm. He had the leash wrapped around that hand, obviously hoping this could be easy and quick. He had decided to play along but they were the ones who put him in here, they could damn well come get him. 

“Come on, pretty kitty. You don't want to miss your big debut do you?” The other man had circled around the cage, coming closer to Noctis from outside the bars. He knows what their up too but doesn't turn his attention from the one in front of him. If they got a lead on him between the bars they wouldn't be able to get out with him anyway. Noct remained focused on Tats, keeping an eye on his hands as the man tried to find an opening to clip the leash to him. 

Scars provided it. “I thought I told you to behave, pet.” Noctis flinched at the voice and the warning it carried. As if to prove his point a small shock ran through him, enough to startle him from the bars and that was opportunity Tats had been waiting for. He darted forward and clipped the lead onto that stupid bell before the warning shock had even fully left his system.

“Now come here and remember to behave yaself.” The man was sitting at the table, leaned back in his chair as he smirked at Noctis. “Be a good pet.”

Noctis closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had to do this. He had to just swallow his pride and go through with it if he wanted to be in any shape to fight when his friends came. With that in mind he went to sit up only to have Tats yank hard on the leash and pull him back to the floor. He caught himself with a snarl and goes to retaliate before the collar around his throat tightened again with another pull. Noct quickly pushed himself off the floor and out of the cage with one powerful spring, this time dragging Tats behind him as he struggled to hold on to the lead. The camera is now in front of him but that was shoved to the back of his mind when Scars reached out and grabbed the slack leather leash dangling from his neck and used it to haul Noctis over to him.

“If ya were that eager kitten ya could've just said,” the large man wrapped the leash around his fist and made Noctis lower his head so they were eye to eye. The bell on his collar mocked him with a happy jingle. He smirked at the anger blazing in his captive’s eyes. “Let's show ‘em what they're missin’ out on.” 

Noctis yelped as a knee was forced between his own, making him spread his legs to keep his balance. His tail swung to catch his balance only for Scars to have a perfect opportunity to grab his ass. One of the grunts was quickly unfastening the camera from where it was set up and instead took recording into his own hands. Noct burned with shame as the camera was brought close before panning down his body. One hand toyed with the waistband of his sweatpants, his finger ghosting under the fabric, while the other kept a tight grip on the lead. Noctis turned away from the camera, still trying to hide his face but that just brought him closer to his tormentor. 

“I think we'll save the best for last. How ‘bout ya show us what ya got under that shirt.” Scars tugged on the collar gently, making Noct look up in surprise only to see the flash of a knife. He pulls on the collar himself this time, trying to back away as far as it will allow but that stopped as soon as he felt the blade dig into his lower back. “Now, now, pet, let's play nice. Remember our special guests. I'm sure ya won't want to disappoint ‘em.”

Noctis nodded stiffly and stopped pulling away, letting the man do as he pleased for now. He felt dirty about letting this happen but there was hardly anything he could do to while trapped as he is. The camera still swam around in his peripheral but he tried to ignore it as best he could. He knew he couldn't let them see his face too much. Someone was bound to recognize him. His ears stayed folded low and his tail curled around, trying to get between his legs where the man's knee was shoved. 

The knife was trailed up his spine, the point digging in just a little too much to be comfortable. Pushing just enough to make Noctis lean into the other's chest. Noct squeezed his eyes shut tightly but that didn't stop the heavy breathing or foul stench against his cheek. 

“Get his ass in the shot. Get in close,” Scars suddenly reached back down and grabbed him. Noct's head shot up up with a yelp and he tried to twist away despite the warnings. He heard the ripping noise and arched his back to try squirming off this man's lap. “Keep usin’ your hips like that and they'll get more of a show than they bargained for,” Scars breathed heavily. 

Noctis froze at those words, feeling the intensity of the others gaze on him and the remains of his shirt being torn off him. His bare back was now on display for the cameraman. Noct flushed down to his shoulders, torn between shame and disgust. Showing off his scars was never good for his pride but now it hurt even more. These people had no idea the origin of those scars. He didn't bother to move at the sound of the knife falling to the table. Noctis could feel his hackles raise and his tail fluff out but still he didn't move. A hand ran up his back, tickling the fur that covered his spine, before gripping the thick scruff to force him away. Scars used the leverage to spin him around while keeping a grip on his fur with one hand and letting the other cup his jaw to hold him still. The bell at his neck still happily jingled away.

“No more bein’ camera shy, kitten. People want to see what they're’ll be buyin’. You've been playin’ shy whenever a camera comes out these past few days but I want my friends to see what they could ‘ave. So let's show ‘em all just how cute you are, pet.” 

Noctis frantically looked everywhere but the camera, trying to avoid being recognized for just a little longer but it was pointless. He could see the chat start firing off, the soft alerts like gunshots to his hyperaware hearing. Finally he forced himself to meet the camera’s blinking red light face on. He tried to remain impartial but knowing each ping in the chat was someone who was complicit in this disgusting auction made his stomach drop. 

One of the men looked away from the scrolling chat to lock eyes with Noct and he desperately wished he could sink into the floor. He could feel a hardness against the small of his back that had nothing to do with the knife he was threatened with. Scars ground his hips against Noctis even as his ears lowered further and he squeezed his eyes shut at his revelation.

“Chat’s sayin’ some real interestin’ things here boss. They seem to think we got the Crown Prince here with us. Say that back scar is all him.”

The grinding stopped and Noct shrunk in on himself. He could hear the whispers from the gathered crowd and actually tried to push back on the man behind him. Scars groaned and ran a hand through his hair to grip hard by the roots. Noctis winced at the pain but still saw the camera recording. He'd been caught. He could either lie and hope for the best or come out swinging. They thought they had the upper hand and there was still the shock collar to worry about but if he took them by surprise he might be able to win this.

“That true, kitten? Ya really the infamous Prince on the run?”

He looked at the camera, heard the chat firing off, saw all the poachers looking at him with heat in their eyes, and turned away from them all. “Yeah. I'm the Prince.” He swallowed his disgust and gently shook his head to make the other let go before turning his back again to the camera, instead facing Scars. He could feel the heat between them and the other's eyes were still clouded from lust and need. The larger man was still breathing heavily, clearly still aroused from playing with Noct's body earlier. Noctis decided to use that to his advantage. 

“You wanted to put on a show, right?” He slowly reached out to the other man, testing the boundaries and what he would be allowed to do. When no shock or yank came from the collar he took a deep breath and trailed his hand down the man's chest in what he hoped was appreciation. “So let's give them a show,” he forced himself to push up against him.

“Rather sudden change of heart, kitten. What brought this on?”

“I had some time to think about it and you said yourself you wanted to keep me, I just thought maybe I could make you reconsider,” he purred.

“Well then, I won't stop ya. Let's see what ya can do to make it worth my while.”

It seemed to work at least. Scars groaned and wrapped an arm around him, grinding his erection against Noct's stomach. The smell of arousal pitched up and he felt bile rise in his throat but swallowed and forced himself to smile. Noctis quickly ran his hands over the man's clothes, searching for the controller to his collar. Scars meanwhile was busy playing with his tail, stroking it in a way that made him almost want to purr. He had searched all of Scars pockets except his back ones and Noct prayed to the Six for what he was about to do. He curled his arms around the man, flicking his tail and hoping he looked alluring enough to get away with this. His fingers quickly found the other's pockets and dived in to find the controller. It had to be here.

He had been so focused on what he was doing he momentarily forgot how he had gotten to that point. Scars roughly shoved his hand down his pants and squeezed his ass hard. He was unprepared for the man to lean down and crash their lips together in a bruising kiss. He bit at Noct's lips, trying to get him to open his mouth for his probing tongue. Noctis squeaked and tried to pull away only to succeed in writhing against his captor. 

Noctis had found his prize though and let himself jerk back with a roar more fitting a coeurl than a person. He didn't have to hide anymore. He could use all his power and he could feel vindicated that these disgusting people had gotten the punishment they deserve. Noct could hear people scrambling and coming out of their shock in the background and knew he'd have a few more seconds at best before they regrouped to start fighting back. His tail lashed violently and he struck out with a clawed hand catching Scars across the face with enough force to send him to the ground in a heap. 

An ear flicked back at the sound of a gun cocking and he phased to the side in a shower of blue sparks. Sweat dripped down his face as he dodged the tranquilizer bullets coming his way. He kept a tight grip on the little controller in one hand and pulled the engine blade from hie armiger. He let himself phase again before throwing his blade. The familiar feeling of warping overtook him and he let himself follow the sword to reappear holding the hilt as the blade dug deep into one of his captors.

He let the momentum drive the blade deeper before ripping it out with a spin flourish. The blood smelt of iron and fear but that only spurred him on more. These people were abhorrent. They deserved to suffer. So many who did not had but now he could tip the scale. He snarled, bared his fangs, and went in with another swipe of his blade. The feeling of a warp overtook him again, leaving a wake of blue crystals behind him as the sound of shattered glass sounded in the room. 

His fur prickled along his spine and he froze as several people leveled their guns his way. Too much time sparring against Prompto made it too easy. The power of the Crystal overcame him and he let himself phase repeatedly through their shots until he had cut most of them down. Breathing was becoming harder, the pain in his chest flaring up with every deep inhale but still he refused to stop. Static danced on the edge of his vision as Stasis creeps up on him but most of the men are down for the count. 

That overconfidence was his downfall. Noct was so caught in what he was doing his surroundings became an afterthought. Gladio would have him running laps for years if he found out this was how he was brought down. Scars snuck up behind him and all he could hear was his blood pounding in his ears. He was completely unaware before a fist slammed into his neck from behind. 

Noctis fell hard to the floor and tried to roll with the impact but a boot came down hard on his hand. Something cracked and he yowled, losing his grip on the control as it skittering across the floor. His tail lashed furiously until stepped on that too while bending to get the small controller to hand it off. Noct growled from the floor, still trying to fight even through the pain. 

“Done playin’ games now, pet. I told ya what would happen if ya disobeyed me,” Scars snarled. He had new gouges down his face, bleeding heavily from Noct's claws. He spun the dial up and Noct's eyes widened while he had a moment to panic. Then there was fire in his veins. 

Every nerve felt the jolt of electricity. All he could do was struggle under the boot of the man holding the control. He seized wildly, one clear thought going through his head being to get the collar off. The smell of burnt flesh filled his nose and tried to push himself away from the pain. He felt like he was being burned from the inside out. His free hand clawed wildly at the collar, some part of him feeling the energy that flowed through it and recognized it for what it was.

It wasn't true elemental energy. Not the kind he was used to wielding, but he could try to utilize it the same way. Pain shot through him with every move, but he kept his one hand against the collar, trying to siphon the energy back into himself. Electricity surged through him and into the power he stored from the Crystal.

Slowly the energy waned from the collar and into him. He was able to finally pull the energy from the collar, leaving him able to recover from the voltage running through his body. Scars seemed to notice the change as Noctis slowly stopped fighting the shocks, letting his body come back into itself. He saw the remaining men step back and even felt Scars step off his hand. 

Noct kept a hand tight to the metal and pushed his way up with the other. Energy still pulsed from the collar with every heartbeat but it was being forced through the Crystal and back to him in a form he could manage. He knew what to do with the newfound energy. Digging his claws into his skin, he was able to find a small purchase on the collar and flooded it with the stored up electricity. The power was under his control and he could feel it when the electricity finally overwhelmed the collar. It shorted out, leaving him free to release the metal band without fear of being shocked again. 

Scars moved further back, fear scent coming over the smell of burnt flesh. All the other men in the room ran. He could hear their footsteps retreating into the warehouse but he wasn't concerned about then at the moment. Scars was his main priority right now. The man was still bleeding sluggishly and he seemed to be holding on to the control too tightly, as if that would somehow revive the collar and save him. 

Noct glared and pulled his engine blade to his outstretched hand. “I'm almost tempted to give you a fighting chance. Why don't you see if you can convince me,” Noctis growled lowly. He was rewarded when Scars paled and the fear scent spiked. He knew that without the collar and the full force of Noct's powers unleashed he didn't stand a chance. 

He looked between the blade glinting in Noct's hand and the angry swipe of his tail before Scars turned and ran. Noctis snarled and shot quickly after him, unwilling to let the man get away after everything he had done. They weaved between the various cages full of different animals, the commotion of the chase causing each of them to start adding their own noises to the mix. The sound pounded in Noct's skull and each breath he took burned his chest but he refused to let Scars escape.

Noctis passed by cages full of animals, some he could name but most were foreign even too him. Regardless he smashed the hilt of his sword into the locks of anything he passed to free the creatures within. Soon enough the warehouse was full of creatures trying to escape the building and if the sounds of screaming were anything to judge by, the animals were willing to fight for that as much as he was. They were probably as tired of being stuck in this place as he was. 

Following the fear scent was easy enough, the smell was pungent and sickly, easily to pick up even among all the other scents in the warehouse. He darted between the piled boxes and cages while tracking the man down. Everything else faded into the background, he focused on just getting to Scars.

Part of him knew this wasn't the way to deal with everything that happened but the bigger part of him didn't care. It didn't matter that this wasn't healthy, he just wanted to make sure that man couldn't continue to do anything like this to anyone or anything else. 

Noct just wanted this whole ordeal to be over. After this he could go find his clowder and forget it ever happened. They would go find Y’jhimei and get rid of his miqo’te abilities. Everything could be done and over with and maybe he could even convince the guys to stay a few days in a hotel so he could scent them all again. He was so ready to be done.

When he finally caught up with Scars the man was trying to duck into a side room in the warehouse, likely a control room. Noctis growled and sprang to follow the man but something slammed into his side, throwing him into a line of cages that clattered to the ground. The impact sent him sprawling to the floor where he realized it was another man who had attacked him. It was enough of a distraction for Noct to lose his grip on his engine blade, causing it to dissolve into a glittering shower of soul shards. Noctis yowled at being denied his hunt, whirling around with claws ready to face this new attacker. This threat grabbed him and wrestled him back to the floor, climbing on top of him. Noct froze momentarily at being restrained before bucking wildly, ignoring the mocking bell jingling. He refused to be captured again now that he could fight back. He wouldn't let it happen again. This couldn't be happening again. 

“Woah, woah, Noct! Calm down, please,” Prompto said while holding his friend's wrists to the floor. 

Noctis stilled and finally took a moment to take in his surroundings. He blinked up into his lovers face. Prompto was holding him down. Prompto was here. If Prompto was here he had to have brought the rest of the clowder. Noct whined and quickly shoved his head up into Prompto’s neck. He would take what comfort he could from the scent of his mate.

The other man froze before he tensed up at the action. Noctis hadn't needed to scent them since the beginning of their ill fated road trip. Prompto took a moment to really look at his friend. He gingerly ran his fingers over the raw, burnt skin before finding the cold metal of the collar. Noct stiffened in his arms and Prompto could feel his breathing speed up. 

“Don't touch it, please. It hurts.” Noctis lowered his eyes as he pulled back. He wiggled slightly as a way of saying that he would like to be let up and curled up on himself as Prompto backed away. 

“Gods, what did they do to you, Noct?” Flinching himself as Noct lowered his ears and seemed to shrink even more.

Prompto was aware he was staring but couldn't seem to do anything to stop. He knew when the man said they were traffickers that Noct wasn't going to be in great condition when they got him back, but seeing it was another thing all together. His friend was covered in bruises, some in the shape if hands, all clearly visible from his missing shirt. His neck was a mess of raw, red skin. It made his heart pound in his ears. The fact that they looked at Noct and saw something lesser was disgusting. The fact that they collared him was enough to make him sick. 

Prompto pushed those thoughts away. He could deal with them later when Noctis was safe. Prompto got himself to his feet and helped Noctis up. “Let's get you back to Iggy and Gladio. They've been out of their minds since we lost you.”

Noct let himself be pulled to his feet but still huddled close to his mate. His ears and tail flick quickly around as he still tried to scent Prompto. There were faint traces of his clowder there as well as just the scent of home. He nodded and started to weave between the fallen cages when an all to familiar click caught his ear. Seeing Prompto tense was all the warning he needed. 

“Well now, ain't ya two a pretty picture. Almost lost ya there kitten.”

Noct hissed and tried to push Prompto behind him as Scars sauntered out from behind some crates. He was tapping the barrel of another gun against his shoulder, before pulling it down to aim it at the two men.

“Your buddies couldn't hit me with that, what makes you think you can,” Noctis snarled.

“I might not be able to shoot ya with your freaky magic, but I'm gonna guess ya buddy can't do what ya can.”

Noct stiffened and growled lowly. Prompto pushed his way out from behind him and pulled his own weapon from the armiger. He took aim as well and nudged Noctis away. 

“You can point that at me all you want. Noct is leaving regardless.”

Noctis whipped his head around to look at Prompto with wide eyes. “Absolutely not,” he hissed before they both took a moment to stare each other down, neither willing to give in and let the other stay alone. 

Scars chuckled, a noise that Noctis answered with his own snarl. The other man smiled, “I already got to play with kitten here, maybe we can play together too, Blondie. Just put that down, what do ya think your gonna do with it, anyway?”

“It's not what he's gonna do, it's what I'm gonna do that you need to worry about.” 

Scars twisted around quickly but still too slow to stop Gladio’s blow. Gladio slammed his shield hard into the back his skull, causing the poacher to drop to the floor in a heap. Ignis pushed his way past the larger man, forcibly making his way over to Noctis and Prompto. He quickly took Noct into his arms and ran sensitive fingers over every exposed inch of skin he could reach. They faltered over the large hand shaped bruises and back scar. He knew how much Noctis hated having his back exposed.

Ignis quickly stripped out of his own jacket and wrapped Noct in it instead. Sharp eyes looked his Prince over and the frown he wore indicated that there would be plenty of mother henning in the future but Noct couldn't say he would object to it. He could hear his purring loudly in the small space but he hardly cared. 

The Shield scoffed down at the man limply laying on the ground and turned to face the two youngest members of their group. He very quickly found his arms full of purring Prince.

“Gladio, that was so stupid and idiotic and thank you,” Noctis purred into his Shield's chest. Just like Prompto, Noctis tried to push himself as close as possible to his mate. There was a distinct smell around his clowder members that made him feel both comfortable and relaxed. Noct almost was able to hide his flinch when fingers brushed up the fur on his spine to reach the collar. 

Gladio met Prompto’s eyes over the top of Noct's head and just watches the blonde shake his head with a pointed look at man on the floor. He tightened his hold on Noctis at the thought. Noct pushed his face into his Shield's neck one more time before he turned and keened at Ignis. 

Ignis quickly wrapped Noctis in a hug as well, letting the other scent him. His tail swished slowly and his purr took a more rumbling quality. Noct took in the collective scent of his clowder and let himself fully relax for the first time since the haven. His fur softening and letting his guard fully down.

“We really should get back to camp, we'll need to take care of you properly.”

“Yeah, you don't uh, you don't look great, bud,” Prompto attempted a smile but it fell flat. 

Noct felt his ears flatten and he averted his eyes away from his clowder. His fluffy tail flicked in doubt and the flinch when Ignis reached for him surprised him as much as his mates. Noctis seemed to sink into himself as the others pulled away. Eyes watering from the reaction he just pushed himself passed the others and started to weave through the mess of cages. 

The three friends shared a glance before taking off after Noctis, his trail easy to follow between the cages. They reached him as he stared out a large loading bay door. A slight misting rain fell outside and Noct just looked blankly out at the Regalia. 

“Sorry,” Noctis whispered, curling further into himself and his borrowed jacket.

Prompto whined but looked between Noctis and the others. He paced in place, going from foot to foot. Gladio looked uncertain as well, eyeing Ignis to take the lead. 

“Noctis,” Ignis softly tired to get his attention but they watched him shrug away.

“It's fine, I'm fine. We can go,” but no one made a move to the car.

“It's okay to not be okay, Noct.” Prompto rushed out, finally giving in and pouncing over to his best friend. “I mean, we don't really know what all you went through, but I heard him talking. He was seriously fucked up. After any time spent with him it's okay to need some space. None of us are gonna fault you for that.”

Noctis whined, pinning his ears back with an irritated flick of his tail. “I don't want space though, I do want to be around you guys, I don't want to make this hurt for us.” He hastily wiped at the growing tears before whirling about to face his clowder. “I don't want to flinch from everything just because of one asshole!”

“None of them should have ever even touched you like that, for that I apologize, I wasn't strong enough, but like Prom said, you don't need to worry about needing time to get over this.” Gladio tried to reason, starting to pace to work off some of his energy. 

Ignis looked like he wanted to reach out for Noctis but stops himself before speaking up himself. “If I may, you didn't seem to have a problem touching us earlier.” Noctis blinked and slightly uncurled himself at his advisor's explanation. “Earlier when we first reunited, you easily embraced us. Maybe for now you can be the one to initiate contact until you no longer feel self conscience about it?”

“I don't want you all to feel like you need to give me the special treatment. I should be stronger than this,” Noctis hissed. “He didn't even really touch me. Nothing really happened.”

“Noctis. We saw traces of what he did. Even now you sport his marks. They abducted you, assaulted you, demeaned you, and then tried to sell you off like a common beast. We will do whatever we can to help you feel safe with us again.”

As Ignis spoke a rumbling purr grew in volume before finally Noctis tackled his closest mate to the floor and can't bring himself to care when Prompto flails at the impact. He is careful to let Noct know where he is going to touch before he wrapped them together in a hug. 

Noct purred from the floor to his two standing lovers, “you had both better get over here or I'm exiling all of you.” the rumbling pitched up in volume as Gladio and Ignis braved the dirty floor to join Noctis in his hug. They huddled on the ground sharing warmth and letting Noctis get reacquainted with a friendly touch. He might not have been gone long but what he had been through had been more than enough to affirm they needed to tread carefully. 

Finally Ignis was able to get them herded to the car and settled in, everyone wanting to crowd in with Noct in the back but ultimately Gladio again claimed his favored spot. He ended up with Noctis sprawled over his lap, lightly dozing off now that he felt safe again. The Shield ran calloused fingers softly through his Prince's thick fur only to be paused by the collar around his throat. The skin was still seared an angry red and the bloody marks around it he could only assume were self inflicted in an attempt to get the device off. Prompto glared at it as if it personally had caused all of their troubles while Ignis snuck worried glances in the rear view mirror.

“We need to get that thing off him. I can't stand seeing it on him much longer, knowing what it's done to him or made him do to himself.”

Gladio traced his fingers over the metal, Noctis far enough into sleep to not flinch at the touch. “Looks like he tried to get it off himself. We'll have to find a way to cut it off. There's a small seam but apparently not enough for him to get it off himself.”

“All outposts should have basic tools, we might be able to find some bolt cutters,” Ignis chimed in from the front as he drove. 

“Will those work for something that close to his neck?”

“It'll have to, that's probably the closest we'll find to handle this unless we go to a doctor's or veterinarian's office.”

The group collectively flinched at the thought of dragging Noctis into an office to be poked and prodded. That was likely the last thing he needed at this point. 

Gladio continued to pet Noctis, listening to the rumbling purr that sounded through the car. “We'll just have to see what we can find after we get back to the tent. He needs to be somewhere familiar.”

They quickly pulled up to the haven they had camped out at before they stormed the warehouse. Their equipment was already set up and the tent beckoned them as the rain had started coming down harder. Prompto pushed himself against the door and out the car in record time, quickly running up the rocky side of the haven to their tent. He dove inside as Ignis opened the side door for Gladio, allowing the larger man to manoeuvre his way out of the car while still holding Noctis. He was wrapped up in his borrowed jacket just such that none of the rain managed the wake him.

They pushed their way into the tent to see the nest Prompto had prepared. All the blankets and sleeping bags had been moved together into a giant pile, pillows and even a few pieces of their clothing scattered around the edges. Prompto had even thought ahead and pulled out one of Noct's older, softer sweatshirts to change him into. Ignis nodded in approval and set about removing his jacket from Noctis as Gladio settled him into the blanket nest. Collectively they set about making Noctis as comfortable as possible in their tent, getting him into clean clothes and tucked into his nest. 

“What do we do now?”

“Now, I will contact Cor and let him now our situation. Hopefully, he has managed to contact Y’jhimei in our stead. She might have some answers and if not at least we'll know when Noctis wakes up. After that we'll need to acquire something to remove that collar, though at the moment I'll admit I'm loathe to leave his side,” Ignis said as he softly watched Noctis sleep. 

“Call Cor, then we'll all rest for now. We can take a moment, we just got him back, we can enjoy a day of being lazy.” Gladio had not stopped his petting, using his fingers in the thick fur to ground him. “Hopefully waking up with all of us here and with all these familiar smells will help him.”

Ignis retreated to the farthest corner of the tent to place a quiet call to Cor, learning that though he had made contact with Y’jhimei, the other miqo’te had no answers for why Noctis couldn't find the prism. She suggested simply waiting to see if it would reappear as it seemed she believed, like Noctis, that there might just be a cross between the two world’s magic.

That was a headache for another day. Maybe they could head up there sometime themselves to see what they could do. For now he thanked Cor for his work and let the Marshal know that Noctis was safe if not sound. 

Noct had started to wake through the call, lulled out of sleep by Ignis’ smooth voice and comforting fingers running through his hair. Scents from all around confirmed his clowder was here and safe with him. His favorite hoodie helped him know he was out of that awful place. No one there would have cared enough to even think about his comfort. He sleepily turned over in their blanket nest and chirped at Prompto, calling the other closer. Right now he wanted contact. 

“Noct! Hey, you're awake,” Prompto still held a safe distance, unsure if he should get close just yet. 

The Prince flicked his tail before realizing it was trapped under the blankets. Instead he resorted to chirping again. Prom, for his part, just snorted and crawled onto the nest with a soft smile. 

“Come on, princess, use your words. We need to know you're okay.”

He knew Gladio meant it sweetly, as an endearment, but his ears still folded back and he broke eye contact at the name. Fur prickled up along his spine and he pushed himself into the nest, hoping to lose himself in the comforting scents.

Gladio laid a hand on the soft pile of blankets near his Prince. “Noctis?” Somehow they had gone from just fine back to the start. 

“What's wrong dear heart?”

“They called me names there too. They talked to me like I was an animal,” Noctis mumbled into the blankets. He pushed himself into Prompto’s chest, hiding his face from his two older lovers. It felt ridiculous, he knew he was safe, that Gladio didn't mean it the way they had, but it still hurt and he didn't know why.

“Damn,” Gladio sighed. “That's okay Noct. We'll just use your name. No nicknames until you decide it's okay.”

The bundle of blankets nodded and a pale hand shot out to reach for Gladio’s. Noct pulled him in close and wiggled his head back out of the nest. “You too Iggy. Everyone better get in the nest if they want to sleep in the tent.”

Ignis frowned slightly. “Noct, we haven't even examined any of your injuries.”

“Sleeping took care of the headache and the ribs are on the mend thanks to the Crystal. What I need right now is some more sleep and you guys here, please.” Noct keened, the sound pulling at their hearts. Purring started again once they had all settled into the nest, letting Noctis dig in where he was. 

“Eventually we'll need to get that collar off,” Prompto whispered as he tucked Noct's head under his chin. 

“I think I have cutters in with my tackle,” Noct yawned, already feeling sleep pulling at him again. It didn't matter it had been days since he last ate. It didn't matter he knew he still bore their collar. All that mattered to him right now was having his clowder close.

Gladio pulled away from the nest of blankets to shift through the armiger looking for said fishing tackle and the promised bolt cutters, leaving the spot open for Ignis to shift into. Together he and Prompto managed to lure Noctis back to sleep. 

Upon finding a pair of bolt cutters tucked away in Noct's tackle they were careful to disentangle themselves from his sleepy cuddling. Noctis had always, always, been a sound sleeper. Able to fall asleep and stay asleep almost anywhere but that they all knew any rest he had while captured that wasn't drug induced was likely not that restful. They didn't begrudge him his nap. 

Still it amazed them how much Noct trusted them even after everything he had been through. They were able to carefully turn his head to bare his neck and from there they were slow and cautious as they worked the collar off. Sliding the bolt cutters against the raw skin under the electric collar caused Noct to start to stir but Prompto was quick to usher him back to sleep. Once Ignis had made a large enough cut in the metal Gladio simply wrapped and fist around it and pulled. He tossed the offending item outside the tent and as far away as he could while still refusing to leave the others.

The angry red skin underneath made them all collectively wince at the pain but they quickly set about cleaning the claw marks and burns before wrapping it up tightly in gauze. The wounds were too old for a potion. Instead they were left waiting for the Crystal to heal Noctis up. It hurt them to think the Crystal had already been at work on the wounds on his neck. It just meant they were even worse than what they were seeing.

Afterwards they tucked him back into the nest and wrapped themselves around him so Noctis would know they were present when he awoke. Hands ran softly over exposed skin as they reacquainted themselves with his presence. For now they would let him heal. Everything else could come after that.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a small idea I wanted to play with. Everyone in towns always seems so normal no matter what is going on, I wanted to change that. Surely someone running around as a pseudo furry would gain some attention?


End file.
